The Right Ponies
by spiff455
Summary: For most of Equestrian history, only the pegasi have had the ability to take to the skies. but a small group of earth ponies have dared to defy their own biology, and gravity to achieve the impossible. Although ignored by most of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle stumbles across their story, which will take her, and all of Equestria on the greatest journey every imagined.


**The Right Ponies**

Chapter One: The Impossible

All she could hear now was her own breathing. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. The constant, repetitive noise was comforting in a way, it meant that she had survived what only a few years before was seen as completely impossible. But at the same time it served as a constant, unavoidable reminder of how alone she truly was now, of how the very next movement she would make would go down in history as the climax of one of the greatest undertakings ever attempted by ponykind. The next movement she took would make her the first mortal pony to set hoof on the moon.

Twilight Sparkle's movement was greatly limited. The pressurized spacesuit she wore, the only thing keeping her alive, was very restrictive. Her vision was limited as well, she could only look forward and slightly up, and she could not see the lunar surface which was at the current moment behind and below her. What she could see however was the very object of her anxiety, the glassy lens of the camera that was transmitting every image back live to Equestria. She knew that everypony was watching her now. Her friends, her family, her teacher, all the ground controllers who had finally taken one brief moment away from their display screens to watch this momentous occasion, and of course, all the thousands of ponies she had never met before.

She wanted nothing more than to scramble back up the ladder and back into the Lunar Lander's cabin, push this responsibility onto another pony. She had never been more home sick in her entire life. She didn't want to do this, she couldn't do this…

"_Luna, _Flight," She heard beep into her headset.

"Go ahead Flight." It wasn't her that responded. Opposite and slightly above the camera lens, she could see her only companion in this great expanse of lifelessness, her mission commander, the old flight test pony, Wild Blue, standing at his post in the Lunar Lander's cabin.

"Are you still go for the EVA?" How long had she been stationary on the ladder? It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime.

"We are go Flight." Wild Blue responded in a reassuring tone. "You're lookin' great kid, just one more step and you got it."

Twilight looked up at him. He couldn't see her face because of the gold colored sun visor, but she could see his. He was doing something that he almost never did, he was smiling. She recalled the conversation they had just a short while ago, as they were orbiting around the far side of the moon after parting ways with Tail Feather in the Orbital/Reentry Module. She thought of what he had said to her. Although he still couldn't see, she nodded to him. Her endless cycle of inhale/exhale happened once more, this time so loud that it clicked on the voice activated microphone in her headset. She stepped back with her right rear leg, and made history…

* * *

For most of Equestrian history, the gift of flight had only been granted to the pegasi. Their birthright was the mastery of the skies. Even some few powerful unicorns had devised ways to grant themselves temporary flight. But for earth ponies, the dream of achieving flight was simply that, a dream. While most members of the race accepted their perpetual grounding with grace, there were a select few who refused the truth. These earth ponies used the one thing that truly set them apart, their minds which from birth had possessed the capacity for engineering. Despite all odds, early in the century they achieved the impossible, going aloft at the controls of flying machines without the assistance of magic.

Now the definition of impossible was re written. Despite the fact that they were ignored by most of the population, most ponies saw these experiments with powered flight to be impractical, and in some cases blasphemous, they carried on. They achieved new records and broke boundaries, and set their sights on the heavens above.

There were two groups that worked to achieve these goals, the engineers who would design and build these great machines, and those who would willingly strap themselves in, rise above the safety of the earth, and put their lives on the line, day after day, to prove that nothing was impossible. They were called Flight Test Ponies, their names were known only to each other, their great accomplishments, and their deaths, would be remembered only by those who knew them. At least that is, until a modest, yet legendary unicorn would take notice, and Equestria would never be the same…

* * *

_Four Years Earlier…_

It was a peaceful afternoon in the small town of Ponyville; birds sang in the trees, a cool breeze blew through the apple orchards and into the town. Twilight Sparkle sat alone in her library home. The electric lights were turned off, her choosing instead to read by the light of the sun coming in through the windows. On the table before her lay the newest edition of _Scientific Equestrian, _a monthly publication covering the newest developments in the scientific community. Despite her focus on the magic of friendship, Twilight still budgeted time to study other aspects of academia; literature, history, science and others. She conducted her own experiments in the fields of chemistry and biology, and made astronomical observations.

She was nearing the end of the publication now, reading through the sections devoted to her more informed disciplines. Now she was in the engineering section. The main articles spoke of developments made in the areas of locomotives and magically assisted airships. As she turned to the last page she saw a small entry, taking up less than half a page, it peaked her interest:

_EAC Receives More Budget Cuts_

_The Equestrian Aeronautics Commission, successor of the old, privately funded, Society for Earth Pony Flight, is no stranger to budget cuts. Almost since the government funded project was formed almost twenty years ago, they have constantly faced falling public support and interest. Despite the seemingly remarkable things these ponies have accomplished, flying at altitudes and speeds that before were unheard of, they have been unable to gain the attention of the public at large. Some hope was gained two years ago when the newly returned Princess Luna took an interest in the Commission's experiments and took direct control of the project. But even the Royal Sister's involvement has done little to increase interest in the EAC's projects. There is even talk by some in Canterlot of disbanding of the EAC all together, with one Member of Parliament saying the program was: "A complete waste of money and resources, they have achieved nothing that directly benefits our society. They build these machines that too often blow up anyway, killing their 'Test Ponies' and wasting our money." The future looks dim for these earth ponies and their flying machines._

Twilight thought for a moment, where had she heard about this "EAC" before? She knew that earth ponies had invented flying machines that went aloft without the assistance of magic, it was common knowledge. But she wasn't overly aware of a government program relating to such a thing. Something about it had peaked her interest, and when something peaked her interest she wanted to learn as much about it as she could.

"Spike?" She called out to her assistant.

"Yes Twilight?" the baby dragon called out from the upstairs loft.

"Could you help me find a book please?"

"Sure thing." He quickly descended the stairs on his stubby legs. "What book are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for a book about powered flight."

"Powered flight? What's that?" Spike looked a bit dumbfounded

"You know, like flying machines?"

"Oh, those weird things that earth ponies built like 50 years ago?"

"Well, yes, apparently they're still building them."

"Oh, well why are you looking for a book about that?"

"Will you just help me find it, please?" She was beginning to get annoyed

"I don't know Twilight, I've helped you re-shelve this place _a lot_, and I've never seen anything like that."

"Spike! Will you just help me please?" She trotted off to the nearest bookshelf.

"Alright, fine." He joined her in the search.

Several hours later and the meticulous searching of every book in the library had yielded nothing more than a book on modern history that had little more than a paragraph talking about the first earth pony flying machines, nothing she didn't already know.

"Ugh, how can there be nothing in here?" She exclaimed in exacerbation.

"Sorry Twilight, but we've looked everywhere."

"I know Spike…"

"We'll, I guess I better get to work cleaning up this mess," he gestured to the stacks of books that had been removed from their shelves.

"Wait…take a letter."

"Huh?"

"Take a letter Spike." She said while looking at the magazine that still lay where she left it.

"Ok, but you already sent a report this week," He got a pen and paper ready.

"I know. I read that Princess Luna is in control of something called the 'EAC', so maybe Princess Celestia can give me some information." She looked back to Spike "Ready?"

"Yea" He put the quill on the parchment.

"Dear Princess Celestia, I read something earlier that interested me greatly. I have searched the library here for more information on the subject but I haven't been able to find any. I'm referring to the Equestrian Aeronautics Commission. I read that Princess Luna is in charge of this project and I was hoping that you could provide me with more information. You're Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle."

"Got it. Are you sure you want to bother the princess with this?" Spike questioned.

"I'm sure Spike, send it." The baby dragon rolled up the letter and sent it on its way in a stream of green fire.

"Alright, that's done. I should get to cleaning now."

"No Spike, it's getting late, and you've helped me a lot, why don't you just go to bed, I'll take care of it."

"Are you sure Twilight? It's no big deal."

"I'm sure."

"Ok…Goodnight Twilight."

"Goodnight Spike." He walked up the stairs and to the bedroom they shared.

Twilight sat alone in the library now, she still couldn't explain why this interested so much. But she had a feeling that this was the start of something really important, and she wanted to know as much about it as she could. She walked over to the nearest pile of books and, with her horn aglow, began to put them back in their rightful places.


End file.
